The Other Eighty-Eight Percent
by DelektorskiChick
Summary: Part the fourth for the Nightmare Series. What on this Earth can truly terrify the unflappable Pepper Pots?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is where my timeline gets a little funny. Clint and Natasha's nightmares were in chronological order, but starting with Tony's, they have begun to run backwards. Tony's, Pepper's and Steve's all follow this rule, but I am still trying to decide if I am going to have Bruce's follow that path. Thor's and Loki's will be concurrent, I know that much, and both on Asgard, but that is as much as my muse has allowed me to know. I will figure it out later, I guess.

In other words, in order, from beginning to end, the nightmares run Clint, Natasha, Steve, Pepper, Tony, then possibly Bruce, Thor, and Loki. However, reading order is as posted on my profile; i.e. Clint, Nat, Tony, Pepper, Steve, Bruce, Thor, Loki.

Hope that's clear as mud now.

Again, much thanks to my wonderful beta MountainRose for keeping me on track and making sure that no mutants were formed from my errors. (Though I have nothing against mutants, they have their own fandom. It is not here.)

**Warning:** Rated T (finally!) for semi-graphic descriptions of… well, too much and I'll give my plot away!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to the Avengers that is not legal merchandise.

.0.o.0.o.0.

She'd made it through the entire funeral without shedding a single tear.

The cameras had found her dry-eyed and steady, and even if she hadn't been able to stand quite on her own, even though she'd had to hang onto Steve for support, she had the best excuse in the world.

Tony Stark, her boss, her nightlight, her lover, her _hero_, was dead.

Pancreatic cancer, of all things.

Sometimes not even science had all the cures.

The funeral had been a hero's; more widely televised than any former President's and with all the pomp and decorum of a state funeral. Director Fury, Steve, Bruce, Clint, Rhodey and Happy had all been pallbearers. Natasha had held her hand throughout the procession, and Thor had led the way to a specially prepared empty space in Central Park and lit an Asgardian funeral pyre with a bolt of lightning summoned by Mjolnir.

The funeral had been all seriousness, and Pepper knew that Tony would have hated it. The reception afterwards though?

That was pure Tony, through and through.

The booze was flowing, video clips and holograms of Tony and Iron Man were everywhere, and just a general party atmosphere permeated the place. Even Pepper had to smile when JARVIS played a series of AC/DC songs at full volume while a holographic Iron Man played air guitar.

Tony had programmed him to do it months ago, of course.

No, Pepper didn't cry until she walked into her own bathroom for the first time since Tony had taken a turn for the worse (was it really only six weeks ago?) and seen her surprise for him laying there on the sink.

Her pregnancy test. Her _positive_ pregnancy test.

The tears leaked out of their own accord; Pepper didn't even notice them at first.

She was only three months along and she hadn't told anyone but Tony (and he'd already been in a coma). She was barely showing, but she was positive Natasha had figured it out already, so both she and Clint knew, and Bruce probably-

Stop. Even though it was just in her brain, she could tell she was babbling.

She stripped out of her all black business suit, leaving it crumpled on the floor. Normally not something she would do, but these were exigent circumstances. She held her hands to her ever-so-slightly rounded belly and told her tiny fetus,

"If you turn out as stubborn and annoying as your father, I swear to God, I'm shipping you off to boarding school the first chance I get."

Then she sighed. "That's a lie. You're not leaving my side. I'm going to be that freaky, clingy mom that all of your friends are afraid of. We've got a while to get to know each other, and I will make sure you know all of your adoptive uncles and aunt. They'll tell you everything about your father. They'll tell you he was… is, a hero."

From the internet searches, she knew that their baby already had arms and legs, knew it was moving, knew that it was already developing its gender. Knew that, in about eight weeks, she'd start to feel it… feel _him_ moving inside her, just a flutter. He already had a heartbeat, lungs, and tiny facial features.

In just another month, he'd start to suck his thumb, and she'd start needing maternity business suits.

She wiped her face angrily with the back of her hand. Stupid hormones…

She stepped into the shower and turned the water on full, savoring the icy shock of the spray at first, then the slow warmth. She wrapped her arms around her torso and let herself, for just a moment, believe it was Tony.

She let herself remember…

_Pepper could hardly believe her eyes. Her breath echoed in her ears. Years of not-quite-trying, not-quite-trying-not-to, and now, even with the chemo…_

_Positive. She and Tony were _pregnant.

"_Ms. Potts?" JARVIS was always polite when his sensors read she was in the bathroom. Actually, he was always polite, but moreso in the bathroom._

"_Yes, JARVIS?"_

"_It's Mr. Stark. His breathing has grown erratic. I…"_

_She'd never heard JARVIS at a loss for words before._

"_I think it's time."_

As Pepper remembered that long ago moment, setting the test down on the counter and rushing to Tony's bedside, she slid down the tile wall of the shower, water beating down on her in torrents.

Her arms were still wrapped around herself as she sobbed.

Slowly, through the fog of her emotions, Pepper realized her pain wasn't just in her heart, it was physical.

Her abdomen was cramping. Hard.

"No!" Her sobbing picked up its pace. "No!" She was screaming, and she could hear JARVIS asking if she needed anyone, or if she'd like him to call emergency services. "Not you too!"

Blood. There was blood.

_Oh, God, so much blood._

As Steve started pounding on the bathroom door, as Natasha began speaking quietly to her through the glass door of the shower, Pepper could do nothing but cry as the last part of Tony Stark was taken away from her.

.0.o.0.o.0.

_Please review! I look forward to each message in my email saying someone cared enough to write one…_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Once again, a big thank you to MountainRose for the awesome beta! Also a big thanks to Rosabelle Meave Sterling; without you, Pepper would have wound up sounding like a southern belle, because that's where my mind jumps when I'm exhausted. Thanks for keeping me on track!

**Warning:** No warning for this chapter; I guess things are getting a bit tame…

**Disclaimer:** The only thing I own relating to the Avengers is a Virginia license plate that says MSPOTTS. And technically, when I got it, it was Beauty and the Beast related, so…

.0.o.0.o.0.

Pepper awoke with tears still streaming down her face. Tony was still next to her, and her hand was lying over his arc reactor. Thankfully he was still asleep. Two a.m. was usually his bedtime; he'd actually gone to bed early last night and she wanted him to get the sleep he so desperately needed.

Also; he was getting a full cancer screening just as soon as she could get him down to Bruce.

Just in case.

She got up quietly and slid her robe on over her silk nightgown. What she really needed was a walk outside, but this was two a.m. in New York City, and she wasn't that nuts. Besides which, she had that conference call with the Tokyo branch of Stark Industries tonight. But after that, she would be taking a pregnancy test. Or tests.

Also just in case.

She padded down towards the kitchen, instead.

"Ms. Potts? Captain Rogers is currently in the penthouse kitchen. Shall I ask him to leave?"

JARVIS. Always polite.

"No, thank you though. I'd like some company if that's alright with him."

"I shall ask him." The AI… hesitated, if that was the right word for it; for a brief moment, she was back in her nightmare, and chills broke out on her arms and she was waiting to hear _'I think it's time'_ in that refined, English voice. Fortunately, the moment passed and reality reasserted itself.

"Might I suggest a brief stop in the lavatory? I believe cold water is said to work the best."

Her tear tracks.

"I will do that. Thank you, JARVIS."

"My pleasure, Ms. Potts."

Stopping in the hall bathroom, Pepper scrubbed for several long moments before she was able to completely pull herself together. She sighed deeply, then plastered a smile on her face and walked confidently into the kitchen.

"Steve! What are you doing up at this hour?"

Even though JARVIS had announced her presence earlier, the Captain still started a little at her greeting. He did that half-rise thing that older men always did when a woman entered a room. "Oh, don't stand! I'm sure you're just as exhausted as me."

"Well-"

"Are those cinnamon rolls?" She was babbling, knew she was babbling, but she couldn't really stop herself. So she deflected as she grabbed one of the rolls.

"Really, why are you up this early? I mean, I get that the military makes you get up at the crack of dawn, but it's almost three a.m."

"Honestly? I couldn't sleep. I had the weirdest dream…"

.0.o.0.o.0.

_Please review, especially if you are like my friend Polterrgeist and enjoy some good old fashioned cinnamon roll porn. Next up; Steve's nightmare, The Last Soldier Standing!_


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